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*sb0564*
SENATE BILL 564
P1, I3 6lr2788
By: Senators Gile and Love, Love, Beidle, Hester, and Lam
Introduced and read first time: February 4, 2026
Assigned to: Finance
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: March 18, 2026
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
State Government – Office of the Attorney General – Data Protection 2
FOR the purpose of establishing the Division of Data Protection within the Office of the 3
Attorney General; authorizing the Division to enforce certain provisions of law; 4
establishing the Maryland Data Privacy Implementation and Innovation 5
Workgroup; and generally relating to data protection. 6
BY adding to 7
Article – State Government 8
Section 6–1001 through 6–1003 to be under the new subtitle “Subtitle 10. Division 9
of Data Protection” 10
Annotated Code of Maryland 11
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 12
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 13
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 14
Article – State Government 15
SUBTITLE 10. DIVISION OF DATA PROTECTION. 16
6–1001. 17
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(A) IN THIS SUBTITLE THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 1
INDICATED. 2
(B) “DIVISION” MEANS THE DIVISION OF DATA PROTECTION. 3
(C) “VIOLATION” MEANS A VIOLATION OF: 4
(1) SECTION 13–310.1 OF THE COMMERCIAL LAW ARTICLE; 5
(2) (1) TITLE 14, SUBTITLE 47 OF THE COMMERCIAL LAW 6
ARTICLE; OR 7
(3) (2) TITLE 14, SUBTITLE 48 OF THE COMMERCIAL LAW 8
ARTICLE. 9
6–1002. 10
THERE IS A DIVISION OF DATA PROTECTION IN THE OFFICE. 11
6–1003. 12
(A) THE FUNCTION OF THE DIVISION IS TO INVESTIGATE AND BRING CIVIL 13
ACTIONS RELATED TO VIOLATIONS. 14
(B) THE DIVISION SHALL INCLUDE: 15
(1) A FULL–TIME CHIEF COUNSEL OF DATA PROTECTION; AND 16
(2) STAFF, INCLUDING ASSISTANT ATTORNEYS GENERAL , 17
INVESTIGATORS, AND ADMINISTRATORS, AS PROVIDED IN THE STATE BUDGET. 18
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That: 19
(a) There is a Maryland Data Privacy Implementation and Innovation 20
Workgroup. 21
(b) The Workgroup consists of the following members: 22
(1) one member of the Senate of Maryland, appointed by the President of 23
the Senate; 24
(2) one member of the House of Delegates, appointed by the Speaker of the 25
House; 26
SENATE BILL 564 3
(3) the Attorney Gen eral, or a designee from the Attorney General who 1
represents the Division of Data Protection; 2
(4) the Secretary of Information Technology, or the Secretary’s designee; 3
(5) the Secretary of Commerce, or the Secretary’s designee; 4
(6) the following members, appointed by the Governor: 5
(i) one consumer privacy advocate from a nonprofit or academic 6
institution; 7
(ii) one civil rights or civil liberties advocate with privacy expertise; 8
(iii) one representative of a Maryland–based small business; 9
(iv) one representative of the digital advertising industry; and 10
(v) one representative of industry with experience in data 11
governance, cybersecurity, or compliance; and 12
(7) five members, appointed jointly by the President of the Senate and the 13
Speaker of the House, representing a variety of stakeholder perspectives, including 14
consumer advocates, technical experts, and regulated industry sectors. 15
(c) The members of the Workgroup shall elect a chair from among the members 16
of the Workgroup. 17
(d) The Office of the Attorney General shall provide staff for the Workgroup. 18
(e) A member of the Workgroup: 19
(1) may not receive compensation as a member of the Workgroup; but 20
(2) is entitled to reimbursement for expenses under the Standard State 21
Travel Regulations, as provided in the State budget. 22
(f) The Workgroup shall: 23
(1) study Maryland’s consumer data privacy framework and evaluate 24
implementation issues, focused on the following areas: 25
(i) data minimization; 26
(ii) compliance challenges faced by businesses; 27
(iii) privacy law updates in other states; 28
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(iv) enforcement capacity and funding, including staffing and 1
operational needs; and 2
(v) artificial intelligence and privacy, including how artificial 3
intelligence systems build on personal data and how privacy protections should apply on 4
emerging contexts; and 5
(2) make recommendations for legislative or policy changes to make 6
technical clarifications or improvements while maintaining strong consumer protections. 7
(g) On or before January 1, 2027, the Workgroup shall report its findings and 8
recommendations to the Governor and, in accordance with § 2 –1257 of the State 9
Government Article, the General Assembly. 10
SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 11
1, 2026. Section 2 of this Act shall remain effective for a period of 1 year and, at the end of 12
June 30, 2027, Section 2 of this Act, with no further action required by the General 13
Assembly, shall be abrogated and of no further force and effect. 14
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.